100 YEARS AGODec. 9, 1909

The total assessed valuation of the county, as shown by the summary of the assessment rolls just prepared by County Assessor B.F. Miller is $8,676,770, a gain of almost a half a million dollars over last year. These figures show that the increase of wealth is not only rapid, but steady.

At a meeting held in the office of W.E. Taggart, the first move towards a regularly organized fire department was made. This meeting was supplement at the Enterprise council meeting Monday night when a board of fire commissioners was appointed by Mayor Mayfield, consisting of councilmen Hockett, Graves and Bickford.

M.O. Courtney and Wayne Wade of Lostine and Tom Wade of Island City closed a deal by which they transferred 920 acres of hill land four to five miles north of Lostine to Fred Ewing of Portland. The price was $13 an acre. C.E. Vest has sold the James Allen homestead near Chico to Wm. Alford for $1,800.

At the regular Enterprise council meeting, the tax levy for next year was set at 10 mils, the same as last year. This will bring a larger revenue as the amount of taxable property in the city, as reported by County Clerk Boatman, is $651,220, a big increase over last year.

70 YEARS AGODec. 7, 1939

Do the people want Roosevelt for president for a third term? This question was asked by Rep. Walter Piece on his visit to the county Friday. … Several of those he asked replied that the sentiment seemed to be strongly in favor of the third term. … He was told that Roosevelt is as popular as ever.

The number of children in Wallowa County continues to fall, as shown in the school census reported to Supt. Ruth Hayes. The total is 2,131, compared to 2,170, and is the lowest since the early days. … The highest enrollment was 3,596 in 1916.

A.A. Johnson has installed in the windows of his shop, the Wallowa Valley Electric Company, fluorescent lighting fixtures. These fixtures are entirely new and his are the first put in any place in Wallowa County. Only recently Meier and Frank and the Fred Meyer stores in Portland had them installed.

Christmas decorations on (Enterprise) Main Street and around residences will be of the best this year. Lighted trees will line the street, as usual, but trees will be larger, permitting higher lights. All trees are to be 12 feet and uniform in shape.

50 YEARS AGODec. 10, 1959

Successful bidders in two Wallowa-Whitman National Forest timber sales last week were the Joseph Timber Company, which bid on approximately 1,800,000 board feet of government timber between Lick and Big Sheep creeks; and Valsetz Lumber Company, which bid on 40 million board feet in the Jaynes Ridge area.

Dr. D.F. Parker has announced that he sold his practice to Dr. George D. Stewart, who will take over the office on Jan. 1.

A meeting for those interested in assisting with the annual Christmas baskets for needy families program will be held Friday at the courthouse. … Bud Lewis is chairman and Lawton McDaniel assistant chairman of the basket committee. Last year approximately 70 baskets were filled and distributed.

Pictures of Enterprise and the surrounding area will be shown on the KREM television program “Newsbeat” tonight between 6:30 and 7 o’clock on Channel 2.

25 YEARS AGODec. 13, 1984

For the second time in four years, a Wallowa County tree farm copped the state’s highest award when Bob Jackson and Leo Goebel of Joseph were named 1984 Oregon Tree Farmers of the Year. … The Glen Hawkins ranch of Wallowa won the award in 1981, and Howard Johnson of Wallowa was named Eastern Oregon winner in 1982.

Ol’ Man Winter, warming up somewhat during the weekend, decided to follow the sub-zero temperatures of last week with a heavy blanket (over a foot) of snow.

IMNAHA – A.L. Duckett, 90, reports that he just finished making the last of about 80 jars of ground cherry preserves. This last batch was partly for Josie Hayes, 99, after she husked the cherries. Now A.L. is footloose to get back in his shop, building more Duckett camp stoves.

Water and sewer problems dominated a meeting of the Wallowa City Council Tuesday, as members swam through a public hearing on a water grant application, then trudged through a discussion concerning a troublesome private sewer line.